Principles of Ecology

Module 1 Homework Assignment for BIO 330: Principles of Ecology
Scott Conklin
Allied American University

This paper was prepared for BIO 330: Principles of Ecology, Module 1 Homework Assignment taught by Shannon Unger.
PART 1: ECOLOGICAL CONTROVERSY After reading through the website dedicated to the Three Gorges Dam, reading through a few additional websites and articles, and watching a few videos, I have made a personal determination that I am not on one side of the debate or the other. Unfortunately for me, I can see both sides of the debate and can understand why the dam is good, and why it was thought to be a negative and its current impacts on the nation. So rather than argue one side or the other, I am going to lay out both the positives and the negatives of the dam, and maybe and some point down the road, I will have a better take on the overall positive or negative impact the Three Gorges Dam has really done. So let us start off with the positive aspects of what the dam brought to the Yangtze River Valley. The work on the dam began in 1993 and final construction was completed in 2009. The three main purposes of the dam are hydroelectric power production, flood control, and navigation improvement for the shipping lanes. The power production of the Three Gorges Dam sits as the world largest power station at 22,500 MW (Mega Watts). With 32 water driven turbines inside the dam, the 98.8 TWh (Terawatthours) was enough to provide energy for 10% of Chinas population at a staggering 136 million people. This energy is equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants and at a fraction of the cost. Flood control has been argued to be the biggest reason for the dam’s construction as seasonal flooding from the Yangtze River is common and disastrous. Millions of residents live downstream of the dam in the cities of Wuhan, Nanjing, Shanghai, and all of the outlying villages as well. Previous to the construction, annual destruction from flooding affected nearly 2.3 million residents and had a death toll of 1,526 in 1998. Since its completion, inflows at the Three Gorges Dam have reached a peaks greater than the 1998 Yangtze River Floods. The dam has reduced the outflow in discharges downstream, effectively alleviating major flooding on the middle and lower rivers. Another good impact the dam has had is on the shipping and navigation lanes for boats. The installation of ship locks, ways to lift boats from one water level to another, has increased river shipping dramatically since there inception. Current transportation costs have been lowered by an estimated 30% so far. The dam and the locks have provided a much safer option, as previously ships with much deeper drafts were unable to effectively navigate upstream due to treacherous water conditions. On the flipside of the argument there are three main negatives that can be taken away from the dam’s construction. Water pollution, decreases in endangered species and wildlife populations, and the overall cultural impact the dam has caused. None of these issues were overlooked or put aside, as the debates behind the Three Gorges Dam goes back to 1919 when the idea was first presented by Sun Yat-sen. Each of the issues have been scrutinized and planned around as much as possible to help lower any negative impacts the dam could cause. So far, water pollution has been a primary source of negative impact since the complete of the dam. Enough so that the Chinese government has full time staff to troll the waters and skim waste from the river as it passes. Now let me state that the river has had a steady increase in water pollution over the last 50 years due to discharge of sewage and industrial waste, well prior to the completion of the dam. The Three Gorges Dam exacerbates water pollution by slowing down water ways, trapping sediment and increasing eutrophication, which can cause a depletion of oxygen in the water. This deoxygenation of the water has also led to the death of many aquatic wildlife. The most notable loss in the Yangtze River Basin was that of the Baiji dolphin, whose numbers had been dwindling prior to the dam, but disappeared completely once it was completed. Prior to the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, 162 fish species were recorded in the area, now over 20 have disappeared to the area and another 6 found only in the Yangtze River are now extinct. With loss of fish, this affects migratory birds and mammals that come to the area to find food. This holds true for the plants in the area as well. As the flooded basin has wiped out over 150,000 acres of land, much of the silt deposits that would normally wash down stream are being slowed and trapped in areas prior and close to the dam. The cultural impacts from the dams creation were probably the most fought aspects of the majority of the population effected in the area. The effects happened on multiple levels as the first was the overall displacement of the areas residents. Because the area leading up to the dam was going to be flooded, nearly 1.1 million people were needed to move, as their current homes would soon be found underwater. The area was also home to many landmarks and archeological sites that held many of China’s historical relics and artifacts. Much was done to clear and document these areas as much as possible prior to the flooding, however, most of the sites are now lost forever under the depths of the river. As you can see, there are really good positives to the creation of the Three Gorges Dam, and just as many negatives. Unfortunately right now, the immediate negative impacts have not over shadowed the positives. That being said, that doesn’t mean moving forward that more significant negative impacts will be seen. This is one of those scenarios where it is hope and pray for the best, and try and plan for the worst. China has dropped billions of dollars into the creation of the dam, and only time will tell if the investment is fruitful or not.

References

1. Kittinger, John N; Coontz, Kristopher M; Yuan, ZhanpengView Profile ; Han, Deju; Zhao, Xianfu; et al. EcoHealth6.4 (Dec 2009): 601-13
2. Wilmsen, B., Webber, M., & Yuefang, D. (2011). Development for whom? rural to urban resettlement at the three gorges dam, china. Asian Studies Review, 35(1), 21-VI. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/860080607?accountid=141600
3. Young-Seuk Park, Jianbo Chang, Sovan Lek, Wenxuan Cao and Sebastien Brosse. 2003. Conservation Strategies for Endemic Fish Species Threatened by the Three Gorges Dam, Interscience-Wiley

PART 2: ECOSYSTEMS
1. In what ecosystem province is Charleston, SC? a. Outer Coastal Plain Mixed Forest Province
2. What is the predominant land-surface form in this province? a. This province comprises the flat and irregular Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains down to the sea. Well over 50 percent of the area is gently sloping. Local relief is less than 300 ft (90 m), although some areas are gently rolling. Most of the region's numerous streams are sluggish; marshes, swamps, and lakes are numerous.
3. What is the moisture deficit? a. Average of 1,208.02 mm
4. What are the indicator species? a. This region provides habitat for a wide variety of animals. Except for a few isolated areas where black bear or the endangered Florida panther are found in small numbers, the whitetail deer is the only large indigenous mammal. Common small mammals include raccoons, opossums, flying squirrels, rabbits, and numerous species of ground-dwelling rodents. Bobwhite and wild turkey are the principal game birds. Migratory nongame bird species are numerous, as are migratory waterfowl. Winter birds are diverse and numerous. The red-cockaded woodpecker is an endangered species. Of the numerous species of reptiles found in this province, the American alligator is the largest.
5. From what ecosystem province do you come? a. Laurentian Mixed Forest Province
6. If you were to walk NW from Charleston and arrive at the Great Lakes, through what ecosystem provinces would you pass? a. Moving from Charleston, SC towards the Great Lakes, you would pass through Southeastern Mixed Forest Province, Cascade Mixed Forest - Coniferous Forest - Alpine Meadow Province, Central Appalachian Broadleaf Forest - Coniferous Forest - Meadow Province, and finally the Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Continental) Province.
7. What is the difference between an ecosystem and a biome? Why might someone find it more useful to use the concept of ecosystem or ecosystem provinces as shown here? Describe a situation in which it might be more useful to use the concept of biomes. a. An ecosystem is the interaction of living and nonliving things in an environment. A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the species living there. A biome can be made up of many ecosystems. Ecosystems might be the preferred method when you are trying to be very specific to a certain area or region and the fauna/flora that it has for inhabitants. Biomes are more useful when you are looking at general regions of the world, rather than getting into a specific subset of a rainforest, you could just relate to the overall rainforest as a whole.